Newswise — Babson College women’s basketball coach Judy Blinstrub will be honored Wednesday, February 15, 2017, for her legacy of campus leadership that culminated in her 600th career victory last week.

Coach Blinstrub is just the seventh active NCAA Division III coach and 14th all-time in the division to reach 600 wins. She achieved this milestone when the Beavers defeated Emerson College, 72-51, on February 8, 2017.

She is the winningest coach in Babson College history and the only coach in New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) history to reach 600 victories.

The celebration event will take place during pregame ceremonies before the 7:30 p.m. game against WPI in Staake Gymnasium on the Babson Wellesley campus and will be broadcast on Facebook Live and Stretch Internet, Babson’s live video streaming provider.

“On behalf of the entire Babson community, I want to congratulate Judy on her 600th career victory with the Babson Women’s Basketball team and thank her for her more than three decades of service to Babson Athletics,” said Babson President Kerry Healey. “Judy’s leadership and impact on Babson College – both on and off the court – is immeasurable, and this unmatched accomplishment is an incredible highlight in a long and impressive career.”

“The entire Babson community wishes to congratulate Coach Blinstrub on this tremendous accomplishment,” said Babson Interim Director of Athletics and Recreation Mike Lynch. “This is a milestone that not many achieve, and she has done it all with tremendous grace and a focus on the experience of her student-athletes.”

This past weekend the Babson College Board of Trustees voted to “formally mark and celebrate the excellence of Judy Blinstrub, her contributions to the Babson College Community, her decades-long dedication to Babson Athletics, and her record as the winningest coach in Babson College history. Judy has been a valuable member of the Babson College community, unwaveringly dedicated to Babson Athletics and hundreds of student athletes, for more than three decades.”

“I attribute all of my success to the great players and assistant coaches I’ve had during my time here,” said Blinstrub. “I’m really proud of this program and all the success our student-athletes have had over the years.”

About Blinstrub

The milestone is just one of a long list of achievements for Blinstrub, who is one victory away from posting the 13th 20-win season of her 33-year career. Her teams have finished with a winning record in 27 of her first 32 years, and she has led the Beavers to the postseason 20 times, which includes nine NCAA Tournament berths since 1991.

Blinstrub guided the Green and White to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 in both 1993 and 1994 before leading the program to the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in both 2010 and 2011. A six-time NEWMAC Coach of the Year and four-time New England Coach of the Year, Blinstrub’s teams have captured nine conference titles, which includes six since 2009.

Blinstrub has mentored seven conference players of the year and six league rookies of the year, and has seen her players earn 52 all-conference awards during her career. Her student-athletes have also garnered 30 all-region and 12 All-America honors during her tenure.

The only coach in NEWMAC history to reach 600 victories, Blinstrub joins current Emmanuel head coach Andy Yosinoff, former Southern Maine coach Gary Fifield and retired Salem State coach Tim Shea as the only New England coaches to reach the 600-win milestone.

A member of both the Babson Athletics Hall of Fame and the Bridgewater State Athletics Hall of Fame, Blinstrub also directed the Beavers’ women’s soccer program from 1984-04. She is the only coach in Division III history with 600 wins in basketball and 200 victories in soccer.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds®. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. Visit www.babson.edu

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